Even Gold Can Tarnish
by erf10722
Summary: Pony knows he is a hinderance. A nuisance to society and worst of all, a liability to his brothers. Ever since Dally and Johnny's death it's all become too much. How will Soda and Darry stop their little brother from going too far? wIll they even be able to?
1. Chapter 1

Ponyboy Curtis strided confidently across the dappled green and brown lawn into the house he occupied with his brothers. He reflected, as he did everyday since the worst day, that it had been a month since the deaths.

He gratefully slung his heavy bag onto the floor where the heap of shoes, jackets, and random junk guarded the door like a sentry. "Hey Pony." Two-Bit called from the living room. Pony pretended not to hear him as he mentally prepared himself for the hardest part of the day.

At school Pony was fine. His classmates ignored him, and he continued dutifully with his work, never speaking or drawing attention to himself.

At home it was a different matter. The sympathetic looks made him gag. The sidelong glances and comforting hugs disgusted him.

He hated how they thought they needed to protect him. It was as if their friends had not died, as if Pony was the only one who had fallen from grace after the deaths.

"Hey, Pony!" Two-Bit shouted again.

"Yeh...hey." He must have sounded dejected, because Two-Bit practically flung himself off the couch to reach Pony.

"Hey kid. You want to talk?" Pony felt the urge to strangle Two-Bit, but he just took three deep breaths and pasted a smile on his face. For most of his life he had been a bad liar, but ever since a few weeks after the deaths, he had become quite convincing.

" 'bout what? Steve here?" Two-Bit grinned goofily.

"Nah. When is 'ole Steve ever around? Hes probably talkin' up some girls at the DX. Wanna go see him and Soda?" This was really the part Pony hated. He suspected his refusal to go anywhere was a contributing factor to the 24/7 babysitting watch.

"Homework. Maybe next time." Two-Bit looked crestfallen. He knew that every member of the gang hated watching over him. It prevented them from doing the things they would rather be doing. Pony's heart beat faster. This could be his chance.

"Two-Bit, there is no need for you to watch me writing my theme while you could be doing a hundred other things worth your time." Pony knew he had not convinced him, but he was also confident he could get Two-Bit to fold. Asides from Steve, who simply refused to watch over Sodas kid brother, Two-Bit hated the job the most.

"Honestly Two-Bit, what the hell would I do? Darry "baby proofed" the house, Soda will be back in an hour and I do want to live to see my theme published, and I ain't even finished with it yet, so why the hell would I kill myself now?"

Two-Bit grinned, convinced. "You have fun writing that theme Pony."

"Sure thing Two. Have fun, and if you come drunk to dinner Darry will kill you."

"True dat." He sauntered out of the door, not able to contain his ecstasy.

Pony wasted no time, but ran upstairs, completed todays diary entry, and grabbed the heater that Dally had left him.

People who have never attempted to commit suicide don't know how much thought it takes. the trouble is that, once you take that step on the building, or you pull that trigger, or you tie that noose around your neck, there's no going back.

As far as the gang knew, Pony had never tried to kill himself. They had only seen the journal entries about attempting to, and had grown overprotective preemptively. But Pony had tried. numerous times in fact.

Ever since Dally's death, he had thought about it, finally deciding to write it down as an attempt to get his feelings out. This supposed means of escape only intensified the need for the end.

Pony felt tears roll down him face. He had left each person he loved with an lengthy explanation about his suicide, and how it wasn't their fault. There was nothing left for him to do.

And suddenly Johnny's words came back to him. "Stay gold Ponyboy." Pony smiled, triumphant over the loop hole he had found out of this.

"Even gold can tarnish Johnny." he said out loud in the empty room. He fingered the trigger, and pointed it at his head, eyes squeezed tightly shut.

He counted. One...he wondered how Darry and Sodapop would find his body...two...Two-bit would never forgive himself...Three...goodbye, and he braced himself for the end.

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Soda ran upstairs, seething at Two-Bit for not taking his responsibilities seriously. This was his little brothers life they were talking about, which should mean more to Two-Bit than a coke at the DX. He flung open Pony and his bedroom door, to find Pony, his finger on the trigger of that blasted heater.

Not even pausing to think, Soda barreled towards him, pushing the gun down. Pony's eyes, the same green as moms had been, stared for one millisecond at Soda in shock, but the second passed, and the gunshot blared through the house.

Pony's face crumpled, and he fell back onto the bad, red blood soaking Pony's clothes and the sheets instantly.

Soda frantically looked for the source of the blood. He found a bullet wound in Pony's shoulder bone. Soda ran downstairs to the phone, but hesitated on who to call. He decided on an ambulance first, then darry.

"9-11, what is your emergency?"

"Hi, my brother was shot at our house in the east side of town..." he rambled on until the operated said.

"Ok. an ambulance should be there in about 10 minutes." Soda hung up, hoping beyond hope that 10 minutes wasn't too late. He punched in Darry's number expertly and waited for this office to pick up.

"Robby's roofing co, how may I assist you?" Soda was trying hard not to cry by now, his voice cracking on every other word he finally got out his message.

agonizing minutes later, Darry picked up.

"Hey Soda, you know not to call me here." Darry's voice was patient and this calm made Soda freak out even more.

"Darry, this is an emergency. Pony...and there's so much blood...the ambulance is coming, but I don't know if he's gonna make it!"

The phone went dead and Soda scurried back upstairs to Pony. He reflected that he shouldn't have left him alone in that room with a gun.

But Pony seemed to be in too much pain to even consider a second attempt. He lay curled on his uninjured side, moans accented by pitiful whimpering sounds escaping his parched lips.

he sat next to Pony, stroking his hair. "Why Pony?"

he did not answer for a minute, then after what seemed an extraordinary amount of effort he croaked "Dally, Johnny. My fault." Soda tried to stay strong, the way Darry does. his thoughts of Darry only made the trembling in him chin faster ad harder to control.

"Soda?" Pony asked in a voice that sounded almost childlike, instead of the husky approximation of Darry's he had taken in imitating.

"Yeh Pone?"

"You sad?" His speech was slurred from pain, and he found it hard to believe that barely three minutes ago, he had been ready to throw his entire life away.

"Yeh. course I am Pone." Soda lay down next to Pony, his hand now stroking Pony's cheek in a protective manner. "I can't believe that you-" Soda's voice broke and he started sobbing, his racking gasps shaking the bed, so that Pony groaned slightly.

Soda tried to pull himself together. "I just- cant imagine living without you, and it hurts that you can imagine leaving me. You know if you died, I would be sure to follow. I you kill yourself, your just killing everyone around you. Steve would either die or turn to drugs with out me, Two-Bit's been shaky since Dally died, and worst of all, we'd leave Darry here by himself. Darry would never go willingly. he thinks he needs to prove something."

Pony didn't answer for a long time, but silent tears rushed down his face.

Darry arrived first. Seeing Pony, he wailed piteously and lay down next to him, telling him over and over again "I love you. please don't leave me." Soda shot him a glance, warning him that he was probably scaring Pony.

Darry didn't seem to care. Pony's silent tears turned into screams of anguish, as though the pain were getting worse with each passing second. Soda finally stopped trying to comfort him and just broke down, pony's shrieks cutting deep wounds in Soda that would never heal.

after what seemed like an eternity, pony calmed down for a second, long enough to say, "I just wanted to see Dally and Johnny again...tell them I'm sorry."

"You're just gonna have to wait. you can tell them later, when the rest of us do. but 14 years ain't long enough." It didn't matter who said it, but it reminded Soda of what Pony had told him Johnny had said to him.

and he thought he finally found something to say that would have a good chance of impacting Pony. "If 16 years ain' long enough, 14 definitely isn't. Gold shouldn't tarnish if it is well taken care of and is loved." It didn't make much sense, but the screams subsided and Pont took up Darry's refrain

"I love you. Don't leave me! I'm sorry!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you guys so much for reviewing! I've never written on fanfiction before, and I'm quite honestly having a lot of trouble with the publishing process! I would love to take suggestions! Hope you enjoy!**

**disclaimer: I do not own the outsiders**

"oh crap...oh crap...HOLY-" Two-Bit had heard the ambulances as they wailed past the DX, their sirens tunelessly screaming down the open road headed straight for the East side of town. Two-Bit was not one to worry. Worry was for people who couldn't handle anything. People who weren't tuff or tough. Dally was wrong- if you become too tough, its a weakness. The only real protection from pain is humor.

Two-Bit had hurriedly put out his cigarette to follow the Fuzz in his beat up pick-up truck. He should be getting back to PonyBoy anyway, although he figured Soda had already reached him. He sighed, not looking forward to the talking to he was bound to get from darry. After a few minutes of mindless tailgating of the police, who couldn't seem to care less, his mouth dropped open involuntarily, as if he had just now seen the Fuzz.

It was not uncommon to see police and EMTs hanging about the East side. There was even a group of them that came into the DX everyday for a pack of smokes and to bother greasers who came in there. The troubling part about the the sirens is that they had parked, lights still blazing and the ear-splitting wail, right in front of the Curtis' house.

"Oh crap...holy crap...HOLY-" What he said next was drowned out by the yelling and general business of the crime scene.

Two-Bit ran up to the crime tape, but was stopped by an officer. The officer wore a pouty expression suitable for a three year old, obviously upset with his task in the scene.

"Sorry kid, you can't go in there. Only authorized-"

"My friends in there!"

"As I said, I am sorry but only police are allowed in the crime scene." He droned out his lines, as though he had long since memorized them.

"Why ain't you in there then, huh?" He looked upset with Two-Bit's jibe. taking advantage of this, he ducked under the police officers outstretched arm and tore off to the back door, where he snuck in, leaving the now pissed man to chase after him, only to be stopped by an equally pissed looking senior officer.

In another time, Two-Bit would have laughed. However, laughter seemed as inconceivable as flight at the moment, while his mind was so preoccupied with thoughts of Pony, Soda and Darry.

Slipping in between two doctors into the bedroom which Soda and Pony shared, Two-Bit finally saw them.

He almost wished that he were still outside, arguing with the failed cop. The look that Darry gave him was so hate-filled, it made him stumble backwards a little.

But most surprisingly and torturously of all was happy-go-lucky Sodapop's expression, which looked pleadingly at Two-Bit as if asking him, "Why?"

But then Two-Bit realized what should have been obvious. The third brother, the one who used to love drawing, who used to watch movies as though they held the key to happiness, who used to laugh at Two-Bit's joke in a soft, almost inaudible chuckle.

"Darry, I- where's Pony? he isn't...he can't be..." Unable to finish the sentence, Two-Bit simply looked at Darry pleadingly, begging superman to give him some good news.

"Dead?" Darry finished for him. Two-Bit swallowed, and after an indeterminable amount of time, Darry said-

**To be continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

**The thing about cliff hangers is that, as much as the readers hate them, the authors hate them 10x worse. I have so many good ideas, but I can't til tomorrow so that I don't seem desperate, or like I have no life (ok...maybe a little) but I don't really give a crap. If you guys love the outsiders, I'm probably a good person to follow. Its all I've written about/planned to write about. Enjoy chapter 3!**

"No. He's not dead, _Two-Bit Matthews" _Darry attempted to put as much menace in his voice as possible. He had never hated anyone more as he did the pitiful, hunched-over boy who stood in front of him.

Two-Bit winced as his nickname (something he had always taken pride in) slithered like a venomous snake through Darry's teeth.

"Get out! And I don't want to see you! Just leave, Keith." The man in the mickey mouse shirt shifted uncomfortably.

"Darry, he didn-" Sodapop tried to interject, but Darry snapped at him and then turned his anger back to Two-Bit.

"Leave. Now." Two-Bit looked up from the ground finally, and squared his shoulders.

"No." His voice was quiet, but the husky intonation made it sound more intimidating.

Darry, who had been trying to ignore Two-Bit, snapped his head to face him once more. He stood up imposingly as he said in his most dangerously calm voice "What?"

"NO!" Said Two-Bit, more forcefully this time. "He's my brother too."

"You don't abandon your brother! You don't leave your younger, 14 year old brother alone when he needs help, just so you can go down to a stupid gas station and get drunk!" Two-Bit was hurt by this, but he tried to keep his composure.

"Well, you don't hit your younger 14 year old brother either! You don't yell at him until he thinks that you hate him! Some brother you are!" Darry, who had begun pacing, froze.

He's right, Darry thought. All of this comes back to me, no matter how far back you go. I forced Pony to leave, killing Johnny and Dally. I yelled at him, making him feel unwelcome. Even if you go back years and years, to when our parents had died, it had been me that had persuaded them to go out, all because I had wanted to go out and get drunk with some buddies that night.

Two-Bit walked out of the room, his derisive snort punctuated by the slam of the door.

Sodapop grabbed Darry's arm. He turned Darry to face him. What he saw shocked him beyond anything that horrible day. There was one pearly tear sliding down Darry's cheek

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Darry did not cry easily. And yet in that short 24 hours, he had cried twice. Once was reasonable. Pony was injured, he could be dying. He wanted to die. But if Darry was crying because of what somebody said to him, it must have really dug deep with him

Soda gaped for a second, then he just pulled Darry into an embrace. He noticed with a pang that Darry smelled just like Pony. If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine that he was holding a taller, broader PonyBoy.

Soda never would admit it, but he liked Pony better. He had an inkling that Darry knew this, but it hurt so much to think about, he never dwelled on it.

And now, his younger brother was in an ambulance (which he and Darry had been forbidden to enter) and his oldest brother was clinging to him as though Soda were his life-line.

"Darry, Two-Bit is just upset. At himself. He thinks he let Pony down, and he's blaming you for it." This was obviously the wrong thing to say.

"No, Soda. He's right. I ain't done nothing for that kid and I pushed him to this point. His breaking point-" His voice cracked, remembering Two-Bit's words after Dally had died.

_"So even Dallas Winston has a breaking point."_

So even Darry Curtis has a breaking point.


	4. Chapter 4

**sorry for how short my stories have been! I am really glad that some people like my writing. If you would like to read more from me, follow me! I have also written Superman's Tights...I only started writing these stories yesterday, so more will come, as long as you guys keep reviewing.**

**I don't own the outsiders.**

The hospital was associated with bad memories a plenty for Darry. It was a mark of his love for his brother that he crossed the threshold into that pit of death.

1 in 3 patients in the ICU will die in the hospital. This depressing statistic, which Darry had come across while researching Johnny's case in the library. 1 in 3. If not Pony, then the old man lying next to him. If not that man, than the middle aged cancer patient who flatlines as his wife holds his hand, and his children hang their heads in defeat.

Darry shook his head, some of his hair falling into his eyes as he did so. His entire left side was numb, as Soda was holding his so tightly.

Darry patted Soda's head absentmindedly, feeling repulsed at the idea of having to be strong for someone else- again- when all he really wanted to do was storm and cry about how unfair life is.

But he kissed Soda's golden curls anyway as his 17 year old brother climbed into his lap like a 6 year old.

this was one thing about Soda that Darry liked- he would never grow up. He would always sit on Darry's lap like a scared puppy, and he would never loose his innocence, no matter how many terrible and scarring events he saw.

In contrast to Darry's hardened exterior and his short childhood, this was a source of jealousy for Darry.

"Family of Ponyboy Curtis." Darry practically had to lift Soda off of his lap. Soda still clung to him, as a sloth holds onto a tree.

"How is he?" I asked, holding my breath for the doctors answer.

The doctor shook his head. "Not too well I'm afraid. There's only so much we can do. The bullet just barely punctured his stomach. luckily, there isn't too much acid in that spot, so that will buy us more time, but he's going to need a lot of blood. A lot."

Darry and Soda nodded determinedly, both willing to do whatever it takes for their little brother.

The doctor smiled, pleased with the love they obviously showed for their dying family member.

"Ok. Follow me. We have to test. See if your a match."

Darry hated needles. He remembered almost throwing up when he had seen the nurse change Johnny's Iv, as easily as though she had not just stuck a two inch needle into through the destroyed skin and muscle of his friends arm.

But when the doctor drew some blood for testing, Darry was so preoccupied, he barely even noticed the sharp prick of the needle.

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Hours later, or so it seemed to Soda, the doctor came back with both his and Darry's blood results. his face was grim.

"Both you and Sodapop have type AB-positive." Darry choked out a sound, this medical terminology obviously not lost on him.

Soda however looked quizzically at the man. "It means you both are universal recipients, but you can't donate to pony." the doc said, putting it in terms for a simple man.

"So...what will happen now?" Soda asked, his heart plummeting like a stone over the edge of a steep cliff.

"Well, since you guys don't have insurance, we have to put you on the donation list. But I warn you, it isn't worth your time. He will die before he gets blood, and you will have spent a load of money for nothing."

"So...that's our only option? Death? My little brother is going to-" But Soda couldn't finish his sentence. Not caring, what the people surrounding him thought, he promptly sat down on the ground and shook with sobs.

And with this, Sodapop Curtis' childhood came to a tragic and sudden end.

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"Hey, I'm here to see Ponyboy curtis?" Two-bit looked as though he had escaped a near death experience with a bulldozer.

His hair was not greased, but stuck out in an afro making his head look disproportionate to his body. He had dark circles under his eyes, and he looked as though he had aged at least 20 years in the last day.

"Ok sir." Sir? Two-Bit didn't even have the energy to make a sarcastic or mocking comment about this.

"Could you please explain your relationship to the patient?"

"I'm his friend." She leafed through her records, Two-Bit all the while dancing as though he had to use the bathroom.

"I'm sorry but this patient is terminally ill. No one but family is allowed to see him." Two-Bit glared, for one of the first times in his life, at this infuriating woman.

"Let me see him. NOW!" The woman did not respond to his screaming, only glared back with equal ferocity.

"Listen lady, if you don't let me see him I'll-" But he was interrupted by a care-worn looking doctor stepping into the reception area.

"Brenda, what's going on here?" Brenda turned her lips upward at the man in a smile.

"This hooligan wants so see a patient. He threatened my life! Would you call security?" the man, obviously not as smitten with Brenda as she appeared to be with him, smiled sarcastically at her.

"I would have thought you would be used to it by now." Two-Bit wondered what history had happened between these two people, but didn't care enough to ask. "Anyway, what patient? Maybe I could find a loop hole.."

Two-Bit decided that he liked this doctor. "Ponyboy Curtis."

The doctors face fell. "Oh...yes. Hmmm...young man, how close are you to PonyBoy Curtis?"

"I consider him my brother." Two-Bit did not add that it was his fault that Pony was in the hospital in the first place. He didn't need this stranger judging him.

"Well then...what would you do to save Pony?"

"Anything! Anything! does he need and organ? Liver, heart, appendix, whatever!" The doctor laughed gently at Two-Bit, although Two-Bit himself did not see the gap in his medical knowledge.

"Ok. Not something quite as drastic as a heart. Or a liver. But he does need, as we physicians call it, a butload of blood."

"Anything." _Anything to stop the guilt. Anything so that Darry wont hate me anymore. Anything for Pony._

**I hope you enjoyed! I tried to make it longer this time. please respond...tell me what you want to happen...I'm making this up as I go along. If you give me an idea, I will write it... or if it doesn't fit in this story, I would write a whole nother story for it! **

**E.R Fuller**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you so much to my reviewers! every writer is always like "I write cuz I love it!" and thats so true, but I really love hearing from people who read my book. **

**I do not own the outsiders.**

* * *

Two-Bit was still drowsy hours later from giving so much blood. After what seemed like a gallon of orange juice and about seven bagels, his head still spun like a cartoon characters.

Two-Bit had dealt with millions of hang-overs. He actually had come to the point where he could ignore the pounding head aches and constant vomiting. But this was different.

The doctor had frowned at the bags of blood that had just exited Two-Bits body.

"We can only hope its enough." Two-Bit had glared at him.

"Enough! If its not enough I will murder someone!" The doctor had smiled wearily at him.

"Lets hope it doesn't come to that then."

"Can I see him?" The doctor looked strained for a second then nodded curtly,

"Since you just gave him a bucket load of blood. But if anyone asks, you are Pony's brother, got it?" Two-Bit nodded eagerly.

Since then, he had sat in Pony's room, blabbering continuously.

"And then this blond I was with last night was freaking out on me, cuz I hadn't called her back yet. And I had to pretend I was Carl, and that Two-Bit Matthews was my twin brother. I'm so good at lying I scare even myself sometimes!" There was silence. Of course. There had been silence on Pony's end for the last who-knew-how-many-hours.

"Kid, you just have to get better. I don't even know what we would do without you. Remember when I said we could get along with anyone but Johnny? I don't think thats true! I can't get along without any of you. It's bad enough that Johnny and Dally are gone, and that you were changed after their death, but if you died, the entire gang would come apart. Did you know that both of your brothers told me that your their favorite? Your just a kid Pony! god dammit, you cant die! your just a kid..."

Two-Bit subsided into tearless sobs, his tear ducts completely devoid of water.

"What are you doing?" Two-Bit jumped at the sound of Darry's voice.

"N-nothing. Just talkin' to Pony." Darry still looked angry, but there was a deep sadness in his eyes also.

"Jeez Two-Bit. Don't you have something better to do with your time?" Two-Bit felt his throat close.

"Darry, I-" But Darry interrupted him.

"Save it. Nothing you can say can make this better."

"Is there anything I can do..." Two-Bits voice trailed off.

Darry laughed humorlessly. "Yeah, you can go back in time and not leave my suicidal baby brother to try to kill himself!"

And remarkably, Two-Bit felt hot tears roll down his cheeks. "Darry, _please_! Please forgive me!"

"Two-Bit, just go. And when Pony dies, I don't even want to see you at the funeral. Goodbye, Keith."

Two-Bit choked back a sob. When he reached the doorway, he turned back to Darry.

"He isn't going to die. I'll make sure of it." Darry did the same humorless laugh he had employed and sat down besides Pony in the chair Two-Bit had just vacated.

Two-Bit, his vision blinded by tears, literally ran straight into the good natured doctor.

"Oh. Sorry doc. Umm...I need to give more blood." The doctor accepted Two-Bits hand to help him up, then shook his head.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. The amount of blood required would kill you. And now we think he needs a liver transplant...one of his ribs grazed it, and it is a very important organ-"

"It's a gland." Two-Bit said automatically.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing." Two-Bit grumbled. Not many people knew this, but Two-Bit was smart. He had a good memory and he probably could have gone to college on a full scholarship, if not for his less than desirable attention span.

"Anyways," The doc said, now giving Two-Bit a funny look. "Neither of his brothers are a match for his liver either. I'm sorry, there just no chance..."

"But lets say he was given all of the blood and whatever liver transplant he needed, would he pull through?"

"Yeh, but Keith, there is no way you could provide him with that and live to tell the tale. I took the liberty of testing to see if you are a candidate to donate a liver, and you are, but it would be a waste of your own liver. He is going to die." 

"Not if I can help it."

The doctor sighed exasperatedly. "But you can't help it. Not without killing yourself."

Exactly. Two-Bit thought.

* * *

Hours later, Two-Bit felt the stab of a needle in his arm once more. Only this time, he also felt a drowsy sensation.

They were preparing him for surgery. The fluorescently lit room tunneled into blackness.

Two-Bit would never remember his dream that he had during those hours of surgery. Vague snippets of sound penetrated his thick, sluggish brain.

Once, heard Darry screaming his name. He tried to struggle to reach him, but found himself in shackled. He looked wildly around and saw Dally sitting next to him, grinning, with a cigarette in between his lips.

"Pony is one tough kid. Glory, what would we do without him? What would become of the Curtis'?"

Two-Bit tried to answer, _"I'm trying to save him!" _Dally laughed at Two-Bit, and then he disappeared, replaced by Pony.

"You know, I want to die. You don't want to die. You have so much left to live for!"

_"No! Not without you! Not without the gang!" _But again, he could not speak.

Than he heard a familiar voice, and yet it didn't seem to fit into his dream. "Two-Bit! wake up! Pony is awake! Let's go!"

Two-Bit opened his eyes, per command of the voice and saw a grinning blonde haired boy with his face towering over Two-Bit.

"Soda?" Two-Bit's voice cracked.

"Yeah buddy! What are you thinking, just taking a nap on one of the hospital beds? Classic two-Bit!" Two-Bit was confused for one second longer, and then he remembered that Soda didn't know about his plan.

He forced a chuckle. "Yeh. I had a bad hangover so I uh...plugged this IV in."

Two-Bit carefully pulled the needle out of his arm, and pulled his legs over the side of the bed. The second he sat up, he gasped slightly.

His abdomen hurt like hell. He stifled a shriek and Soda looked at him in alarm.

"You ok Two? Must be some hangover. Need a hand."

Two-Bit nodded, gasping too hard for words to escape him.

Soda eventually had to carry him, and even this hurt like a...well, it hurt a lot anyway.

Two-Bit sat gratefully in the chair beside Pony's bed.

He was indeed awake. Two-Bit smiled at him. "Hey kid. You look great. It must be a miracle."

Pony almost turned up the corners of his mouth, still weak. "Yeh. They had an anonymous liver donor at the last minute. Apparently they specially requested me. But...The doc said I probably won't make it."

Soda, whom had been smiling like a crazy man, walked over to Pony and roughly pushed his bangs out of his face.

"Of course your going to make it Pony."

"Yeh, blood is over-rated anyways bub." Pony really manged a smile this time.

"Easy for you to say."

Two-Bit laughed at the irony of it all. Pony looked at him as though he were man, then turned his attention to Soda, who had silent tears running down his face.

"Don't cry Soda." Pony pleaded in a hoarse voice. "You and Darry will be ok. And Two-Bit. And Steve..." He trailed off. Steve didn't care.

"There's no way I will ever be ok without you Pone." Two-Bit felt, for the millionth time in the last few days, his throat swell painfully.

As much as it killed, he gingerly got out of the chair, waving goodbye to the two brothers.

On his way out, he met Darry. At first Darry pretended that he didn't see Two-Bit. But Two-Bit deliberately got in his way, blocking the entrance to his brothers hospital room.

Darry growled dangerously. "So now your going to deny me of the last few days, maybe hours that I have with my baby?"

"No. I just want you to meet me in hospital room 607 at 12:00 tonight. Do'nt tell anyone where your going. It could save your brothers life."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! thank you so much for reviewing! a special thanks to xXxAngel-With-A-ShotgunxXx. You are so far the only reviewer who questions my less-than-perfect plot line. There's not gonna be too many other chapters:( but I am writing another Outsiders fanfic called "Dominoes." I hope you look at it!  
**

**I don't own the outsiders.**

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Darry was not sure whether to meet Two-Bit at midnight in the hospital. It had been a creepy thing to say, to say the least. And yet what he had said last stuck with him. _"It could save your brothers life."_

Darry honestly didn't know how Pony had lasted this long. The last time he had spoken to the doctor, they had said there was no way. He had lost too much blood, and part of his liver was damaged. They would never be able to climb the transplant list quickly enough to save Pony's life.

Darry had accepted this. Well, not really. It was hard to accept your brothers death, but he had, as he had done after Mom and Dad's death, pushed it to the back of his mind.

If Pony died, his only concern should be Soda. Soda, who would never forgive himself. Would never forgive Darry.

But just as he had accepted his last words to Pony. He had reminisced, throwing each memory of his laughing baby brother away to a cage where he contained all of his demons.

He made up his mind. Pony was on thin ice. At this point, the scales of fate could blance him either way. Darry decided that he would see Two-Bit.

Maybe just to punch him in the face.

* * *

Two-Bit looked at his watch. it read 10:45 through the cracked and taped glass. He sighed. Just about half an hour to waste before he had to act.

If everything was to go according to plan, it had to be timed exactly right.

Two-Bit walked down to Pony's room. He was sleeping, but woke with a start and a consequential wince.

"Hey Two." He still looked awful. His lips were parched, but his skin was regaining its normal tan, instead of the yellow skin that had been a tell tale symptom of his liver damage.

"Hey Pony. How ya doing kid?" Two-Bit had to work hard to hold back tears.

"I'm ok." Pony gave him a strange look then he asked, "Did you mean it?"

"Mean what kid?"

"Mean that...that you couldn't get on without me...that the gang couldn't go on without me." Two-Bit chuckled darkly.

"So you were conscious for that? Yeh...yeh I meant that with all my heart."

"We couldn't go on without you either Two." Two-Bit panicked slightly.

"Yes you would. Aww, hell kid! What do you need ole' Two-Bit for? The gang has Soda to lighten the mood for them. And Steve to come in at 2:00 in the morning, staggeringly drunk."

Pony smiled widely, although it looked like it hurt. "I love Soda. You know that. But he ain't you. I'll be sad when I won't see you anymore." Again, Two-Bit felt rising panic in his chest. How could Pony possibly know?

"What do you mean Pone?"

"I mean when I...die." He said bluntly.

"I bet you a million dollars you wont die."

"But if I'm dead, how will I collect my winnings?" Two-Bit sobbed slightly, but covered it up with a laugh. Pony didn't seem to notice.

"Here kid." Two-Bit handed Pony a ring. It was silver with the inscription "Nothing gold can stay." "If I win, you have to give this back to me. But If you win, you can be buried with it."

Pony smiled, but Two-Bit saw a tear lingering, suspended, in the corner of his eye. "Yeah. Thanks Two-Bit."

"No problem kid." He turned to leave, and was almost at the door when Pony half shouted to Two-Bit.

"Two, if it says nothing gold can stay, why the heck is it silver?" Two-Bit gave a genuine chuckle, relishing the bubble sensation that rose in his stomach with the laugh.

"It's a metaphor. Your a smart kid, see if you can figure it out." And with that, Two-Bit hurried out of the room, walking hunched over because of his recent surgery.

* * *

11:00. Perfect. Two-Bit had just enough time to get everything in order and then start the procedure.

He grabbed the pieces of paper, sprinkled with tear drops, which he had carefully been writing all day. He supposed that he had about 100 pages. the longest thing he had ever written. Or would ever write, he thought depressedly.

He thought for a minute, then wrote one last thing on a separate piece of white lined paper.

Two-Bit sighed and whispered a prayer, the first one he had said in living memory.

He sat in the strait backed chair and imitated the procedure had seen done only once before.

Sticking the needle into the crook of his elbow, he deftly set up the complicated contraption so that it sucked his blood, dropping it into the enormous bag Two-Bit had stolen.

After only about 5 minutes of sucking, Two started feeling light headed. He felt sick and was tempted to take the needle out, but he continued diligently.

How long until I pass out? Two-Bit asked himself, anticipating the moment. His vision was already blurry and he knew the blasted tube was taking too much blood, more than his frantically beating heart could supply.

He finally drifted into a stupor. He wasn't quite sure whether he was awake or not, But he kept having visions.

Visions of the gang without him, visions of Dally and Johnny welcoming him. Visions of his funeral, what he would say to make Pony stop crying. What joke he would make about the strain Steve would show from not crying. How he would raise one eyebrow questioningly at Soda. And, with the greatest pain of all, how Darry would look, no doubt blaming himself for two-Bit's death.

What a shame that he will die angry at me, Two-Bits thoughts slurred. There was a pounding in his head that sounded like footsteps, maybe Johnny and Dally coming to greet him.

But no. A voice registered, although at this point Two-Bit could not be absolutely sure if it was real or imaginary.

But to him it sounded like Darry's voice. Screaming his name. He felt his bloodless head rattle around inside of his brain. Someone was shaking him.

And then the shaking stopped.

An overwhelming sense of peace overcame him and Two-Bit's last image was of his laughing friends, all of them together as they had been in life.

Although half of them were gone either way, Two-Bit was thankful it wasn't Pony.


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow! Thanks so much for the awesome reviews! Keep them comin! but for a different story...this one is coming to a close:(**

**I really enjoyed writing this! **

**I don't own the outsiders.**

* * *

Darry hated to admit it, but he had been waiting for the chance to meet with Two-Bit all day. He wanted to hear...whatever he had to say (most likely an apology) He though satisfactorily.

Darry wondered if he would...or could forgive him.

Walking briskly to room 607, these thoughts raced through his head.

When he opened the off white colored door into the similarly oblique room, He almost didn't see Two-Bit sitting in the chair, his back towards Darry, apparently asleep.

Darry smirked and said loudly, "So, you wanted to talk?" Hoping to give Two-Bit a start. When Two-Bit didn't answer, Darry assumed he was, as per usual, in a deep comatose like sleep.

"Two-Bit!" He shook the limp form angrily. And then he noticed something odd, something that didn't match up with what Darry had expected.

In Two-Bit's left arm was a tube. Precariously placed, with red liquid seeping into a huge bag, brimming to the top with so much blood, Darry felt himself become lightheaded at the sight. Taped to the bag was instructions with Darry's name on it.

Dare,

Thanks for coming by. Call for a doctor. Now. I love you, but I don't trust you even a little bit with this bag of blood.

Thanks bub,

Two-Bit

Even without Two-Bit's note, Darry would have screamed. He screamed bloody murder, not caring who came.

Kneeling next to Two-Bit, he shook him and yelled at him to wake up, but the pale limp remnants of what had been his friend made no response.

Doctors and nurses came rushing in, immediately securing the Blood bag, looks of shock and panic on the face that thought they had seen it all.

One burly surgeon held Darry back, as tortured sobs escaped his throat, struggling against the man uselessly.

"Son, he's gone. I'm sorry, but he's gone. Please stop struggling!"

"NO!" Darry roared. He broke away from the doctor and ran again to kneel by Two-Bit. In all the scuffle, His chair had been knocked over.

Darry propped Two-Bit up against his chest crying shamelessly and whispering his name over and over again.

"Two-Bit. Two-Bit." His voice slowly rose to a shout. "TWO-BIT! KEITH! KEITH MATTHEWS!." Than his sobs over took his speech, choking him. "Two-Bit...I'm...I'm so sorry."

His vision too overcome by tears to see, his sudden burst of energy gone, he allowed Two-Bit to be carried away from him.

He didn't know if he had imagined it or not, but even in death, he though he saw a little smile playing on Two-Bit ghostly pale lips.

* * *

Pony was sitting up in bed eating a piece of toast. Since an anonymous blood donor had come through, he was feeling much better.

He was even able to walk for about 10 minutes a day without feeling too awful.

Vaguely, he wondered why his brothers had not come to see this miracle. Or Two-Bit. He even missed Steve's sarcastic smile.

But he most was looking forward to seeing Two-Bit. Pony had never been so happy in his life to have lost a bet.

He couldn't wait to see Two-Bit crow in ecstasy as he paraded around, rubbing his victory in Pony's face.

Every time a nurse came in, Pony would ask her this. She would turn pale and mutter a hurried excuse.

Pony stared at the door, willing it to open to reveal Two-Bit.

Miraculously, the door did open. But it was not his goofy friend that stood there, but his hulking form of a brother.

Pony squinted at the sudden light that outlined the figure. Darry walked over to Pony, wearing an expression Pony had come to associate with iminent sorrow.

"Darry, what's wrong." Darry's hands were in his pockets, his shoulders hunched forward ashamedly.

Instead of answering him, he whispered to himself, "So this is what it feels like to be blamed, huh Two-Bit? I gotta say, I can't blame you for trying to do what you did. I would try to save you now also."

His words made no sense, but Pony had caught Two-Bit's name, and he grinned.

"Two-Bit is here? Where? I need to give him something." Darry shrugged.

"He'll be around." Darry shrugged again and wandered out of the room, repeating"He'll be around" and than laughing slightly to himself.

Pony thought he heard a sob in between on of the maniacal laughs.

* * *

Later that day, Soda came in.

He looked even worse than Pony imagined he himself must look. His hair was un-greased and uncombed, and the circles under his eyes indicated many sleepless nights.

"Hey Soda!" Pony smiled enthusiastically, moving slightly and indicating for Soda to sit next to him.

Soda did this, kicking off his shoes and sliding under the covers with Pony. He slid his arm naturally around Pony, but didn't say anything for quite some time.

Just as Pony had started to drift away into a peaceful sleep, lulled by the familiar, no-hospital like smell of his older brother.

"What was the last thing Two-Bit said to you?" He asked abruptly. Pony answered without having to think for a moment, having already thought much on this very subject, wondering if he had said anything to make Two-Bit angry and therefor not wanting to see him.

"He said "It's a metaphor. You're a smart kid; see if you can figure it out." Soda, why haven't I seen Two-Bit around? I wanted to tell him what I thought the metaphor was."

Soda smiled down at his younger brother. "Are you happy with those words?"

Pony raised one eyebrow in the way the master, Two-Bit, had taught him. Soda choked on a sob, and Pony looked at him quizzically.

More to break the awkward silence than anything else, Pony answered. "Yeh. Especially the hidden meaning behind the words. Why? Are you guys looking for him? He didn't say anything to suggest he was running away..."

"No. We know exactly where he his. You know the last thing he said to me?" And without waiting for a response, Soda continued. "He said "Sodapop, you take care of Darry and Pony. Who knows, someday I might be too drunk or other wise occupied to lighten the mood. I bequeath my crown to you."'

Pony giggled, imagining his friend, in his funny was of his, pretending to give a crown to Soda, as the younger boy laughed.

"Yep. That sounds like Two-Bit." Then a short pause. "So...if you know where he is...where is he, and why hasn't he visited?"

"Two-Bit isn't here anymore. He's with the Dally and Johnny now."


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you for reviewing! I lied...a few more chapters...just cuz I like my own story.**

**I do not own the outsiders.**

* * *

Soda ran towards the commotion. He always did this, purposely ran towards the action, instead of running in the opposite direction like Pony, Johnny or Darry would do.

He didn't need to be responsible, and that was exactly how he liked it. Let Darry take try to fix the troubles, Soda just liked being on the side lines.

But what he saw when he stood in the doorway of the hospital room was the so unexpected, Soda staggered back a few paces.

Darry, yelling at an obviously and yet inconceivably dead Two-Bit. He ran into the room unnoticed, slipping by a nurse heaving the largest bag full of blood Soda had ever seen ( not that he'd seen that many.)

For some inexplicable reason, his eyes slid over the impending chaos and over to a plastic table like thing, where a packet of papers lay.

Jumping right in front of Darry's field of vision without being noticed, he made a grab for them, recognizing Two-Bits untidy scrawl.

His heart skipped a beat as he found one with his name on it. Leaving the others in the original spot for a pretentious lawyer lady to find, he raced out of the room.

Having succeeded in his mission, the truth finally hit him. Two-Bit, his friend, his brother, was dead. It was as if the earth under Soda's feet had been taken out from underneath him, leaving him hanging onto the cliffs edge by the tips of his fingers.

He felt himself become sick, and dove into the nearest doorway, a janitorial closet.

Heaving his insides into a bucket, he sobbed through the pain of it all.

He must have sat there for hours. Sobbing and rocking back and forth on his knees, occasionally throwing up into the useful and brimming bucket. The closet stank of the disgusting mixture of food and stomach acids.

In one of those brief periods when his sobs had subsided due to his empty tear ducts, he gazed dully down at the pieces or paper, now crumpled into unrecognizable balls.

Slowly and deliberately, he smoothed out the papers till they lay flat on a small footstool.

_Soda,_

_I don't regret what I did. You know how we all knew Dally would die young and probably by the hands of someone who hated him? Well I always assumed that I would die in a drunk driving accident or liver disease. _

_Instead, I got to die for someone elses life. Pony's. I don't know if you figured it out yet, but I donated that part of the liver. And the blood. But the doctor told me it wasn't enough, that Pony was going to die anyway. Trust me, I was not suicidal. I always knew that wasn't the answer, no matter how rough things got._

_Something Pony said in his theme really got to me. "Things are rough all over." Everyone thinks that they've got the worst lot, but that ain't true. We have it just as bad as the middle class and the Soc. Worse in someways. At least we've got the best friends you could ask for._

_Soda, I know from watching those crap movies that Pony makes us go to that you cant say no to a mans dying wish. Being me, I'm gonna milk this for all its worth._

_First off, I want you to stop crying (I know you too well...your hiding in a literal and metaphorical closet right now, aren't you?) Don't read the next part until you calm yourself..._

Soda tried to calm himself. He took deep, shuddering breaths and wiped the tears from his eyes. He closed his eyes for a second and his shoulders stopped shaking in grief.

_Knew you could do it Soda-pop. Now, thirdly and most importantly, you need to know something._

_I've never told anyone this, but I have had some...difficulties in my life. Kinda like Johnny. And Dally. And like what would have happened to you guys if Pony died._

_My dad was a good man. He and my mom were always seperated, and I lived with both of them. It was a good situation. My dad even had a girlfriend who had a son a few years younger than me. His name was Hunter- but we called him Bunny. That kid is the reason I joined the gang- pony. _

_Not only their original names but their personality. Bunny was sweet and innocent, and didn't know what his mom was doing to me- and I wanted to keep it that way. Carla (my dads girlfriend) was like Johnny's dad._

_Except worse. One day she was high, threatening me with a gun, when Bunny came home, and saw what was happening. He was...just such a brave, sweet, innocent kid...anyway, he took a bullet for me._

_But I didn't turn hard like Dally. I turned Funny. I masked all my pain with humor. This made it almost bearable. When I was with the gang, I could laugh for real. _

_And you have got to do what I did. I know Darry will take this hard. He isn't strong. There's no such thing as superman. _

_Soda-pop, in all this writing I forgot to mention how much I love you. I really do. Like a real brother. Always will. Take care of my family- you have to be the glue now. Smile like you mean it._

_Two-Bit_

_P.S. Don't let Pony bury me with my ring. I want him to keep it._

Soda took in a deep breath. He stared in the dark glass of the door. His own reflection stared back at him, his true self. His cheeks were still stained with tears, his eyebrows pulled low over his eyes in sorrow.

Slowly, he forced them to move high on his forehead, forced his lips to pull back in a grin. He even had himself convinced.

"Smile like I mean it." He said, in a perfect imitation of Two-Bits voice.

* * *

Darry didn't know if he was crazy or just naive. All he knew is that he had never sympathized more with Pony.

When Johnny had died, Pony had insisted that he was not dead. Darry remembered never speaking Dally or Johnny's names, afraid of his little brothers reactions.

Darry felt like an awful human being even thinking these thoughts, but he reflected still on how much Two-Bit's death had affected him than Dally and Johnny's.

Darry had loved Dally and Johnny, as brothers. he had looked up to Dally and protected Johnny. But Two-Bit was always closer to Darry than those two.

Or perhaps his unending grief had something to do with his last words to Two-Bit "So you're going to deny me the last few days, maybe hours that I have with my baby?"

Darry hadn't known that it wouldn't be Pony's last few hours, but Two-Bits.

He wondered what Two-Bit would say if he were here. He envision his friend for a moment, and felt happiness course through him like adrenaline.

"_Darry, I can't believe the apocalypse has come. Or at least, thats what I assume is happening. I thought that would be the day when Darry finally showed he was human." _Imaginary Two-Bit said, his voice exactly as it had been in life.

_"Darry, what the hell! really! pull yourself together. You can't go over the edge! And I don't care what your last two words to me were...I'm Two-Bit and I always gets my "Two-Bits" worth...trust me...I'll have the last word."_ Darry's smile dissolved into a pained look.

"Ok Two-Bit. I'm waiting. What's your last word gonna be?" Soda cleared his throat from the doorway. A grin was playing on his face, and Darry glared at him in shock and admiration.

"Not Two-Bit bro. Sorry to disappoint. Anyway, we gotta go to some big-wig's office. Said something about Two-Bit. She didn't quite finish her spiel due to the unfortunate placement of a whoopie cushion on her seat."

Darry's eyebrows which had been pulled low over his icy blue eyes, raised in surprise. What was wrong with Soda? Wasn't he even a little bit sad about Two-Bit's death?

* * *

"Ah, Darrel I presume?"

"Uh...Darry. Yeah." Darry stuck out his hand for the pompous looking woman to shake. "Well, I have in my hands the suicide notes that Two-Bit left for each of you. It is common practice to designate such disgusting remnants of a wasted life to the people to which they were addressed." Her lip curled disapprovingly.

Darry clenched his fists, seriously considered disregarding the rule of not hitting woman. He reached one tense hand to the papers and grabbed them, clenching his jaw at the woman's sneer.

As he walked out, Soda said in such and un-soda-like-way "Dont worry bout her. I put laxatives in her soup...she was pissin' me off too man."

Darry snickered in spite of himself, than he glanced down at the papers and sobered up. Soda clapped him on the back. "Don't worry. He even mentioned in mine that he doesn't blame you."

Darry stared at Soda his eyes pleading. "But I blame myself Soda. And I always will."


	9. Chapter 9

**You guys are awesome! Thank you so much!**

**I do not own the outsiders.**

* * *

_Darry stared at Soda, his eyes pleading "But I do blame myself Soda and I always will."_

* * *

Soda almost felt like strangling Darry. If not for the over-powering sense of loss the sad remnants of the gang felt, he probably would have.

"Why," he thought "did life give me the most stubborn brothers alive?" With his last shred of patience, Soda consoled Darry.

"Aww, bro, it ain't you fault." Not the most reassuring words, but pity was lying thin.

"It is." Darry started to sob.

The thing about the last shred of patience is that it's just that- the last. After that patience is gone, you are sure to see a major hissy fit.

"Darrel Curtis. Two-Bit was not depressed. If he was, I would be blaming you for his death in it's entirety. He sacrificed himself, for your little brother might I mention, and this is how you repay him? Just read whatever Two-Bit told you in your letter, and suck it up, 'cuz you can't fix it, _superman._"

Soda wondered if he had gone to far, the icy expression in Darry's eye warned him that he might have. But then the ice melted.

He muttered to himself "God, he sounds like him." Soda was not meant to hear it, but he did anyway, and on the inside, he glowed with pride. He was like Two-Bit.

"Ok, Tw- Soda. I'm gonna read it now, but do you mind leaving while I hear the last words my best friend will ever say to me?"

Soda merely put on a mock hurt look and said innocently, "I thought that I was your best friend."

"Please leave Soda." Darry said tiredly. Soda hesitated for a second. His new motto had to be "What would Two-Bit do?" He finally settled on walking jauntily out of the door in a false huff, letting a girl-like "Hmm!" escape his mouth.

He almost thought he heard Darry chuckle.

* * *

Darry opened the letter with shaking hands, barely able to force his eyes down onto the practically illegible chicken scratch that cover the page.

_Darry,_

_You of all people should know why I (as I'm sure they will put it down in the records) "committed suicide." I like to think of it more as "moving on." Just kidding man, thats some crap that Pony would say._

_I like to think of it as "bailing a friend out." I don't know if you ever knew this, but I bailed Dally out more times than you did (if we're keeping score...we are...its 9 to 3.) The only times you ever bailed him out was when I couldn't afford the jail bail, or when I was arrested with him. Note to self: Don't drink and drive_

_But Pony was just gonna go where I am now. He still is, but I bought him some time. (By the way, if he tries to "waste his time" again, kill him for me...then I'll kill so he's alive again...2 negatives make a positive right? well...If they're multiplied...if a larger negative is subtracted from a smaller negative...or..sorry, I'm off task.)_

_I am not going to forgive you for what you said. _

At this point Darry almost dropped the letter in alarm, feeling the guilt weigh heavier on his heart.

_No, not the douchey things you said, the things you undoubtedly said after I died. "Oh two-Bit, I'm so sorry! How can You ever forgive me! If I could tear up my heart for your life I would..."_

_Jeez...imaginary Darry is annoying. Any way, I do forgive you for the douchey things you said. It didn't cause my death, but you sure mad me feel like shit. And I'm not telling you this to make you feel bad. I'm tellin' you this because I know I can trust you. You aren't going to circle the drain like Soda, Steve or Pony._

_No. Your too tough. Tougher than Dally and in the same false kind of way. _

_Now for the real tear jerker. Darry, I love you. You couldn't have done anything, and you need to suck it up, but I love you._

_Even though I'm older (I will NEVER stop rubbing that in) I have always looked up to you. So I did a really pony thing to do (oh yeah, I made Pony's name into a verb meaning meaningful and dreamy) I am leaving you with a poem. And its a chileshe A big one. actually with a brain like your's you probably already know it...here goes._

_If you can keep your head when all about you_

_are losing theirs and blaming it on you_

_if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you_

_but make allowance for their doubting too_

_if you can wait and not be tired by waiting_

_or being lied about-dont deal in lies_

_or being hated; dont give way to hating_

_but dont look too good nor talk too wise_

_if you can dream and not make dreamse you master_

_or think and not make thoughts your aim_

_if you can meet with triumph and disaster_

_and treat those two impostors just the same_

_if you can make one heap of all your winnings_

_and risk it all in one turn of pitch and toss_

_and start again at your beginnings _

_and never breathe a word about your loss_

_if you can force your heart and nerve and sinew_

_to serve your turn long after they're gone_

_and so hold on when theres nothing left in you_

_except the will which says to them "hold on"_

_If you can talk with crowds and keep you virture_

_or walk with kings nor lose the common touch_

_if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you_

_if all men count with you, but none too much_

_if you can fill the unforgiving minute_

_with sixty seconds worth; feeling you no longer can_

_than yours is the earth and everything in it_

_and, which is more, you'll be my superman_

_If you didn't notice, the last two lines are of my own creation. it really said "If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run...and which is more, you'll be a man my son." _

_But, sorry to disappoint, I'm not your father. But you really are my superman._

_I'm totally gonna Pony this saying, but "See you on the other side, superman."_

_Love,_

_Two-Bit_

_p.s. I know you will miss me (who wouldn't) So, I told Soda a little something to make your life a little bit easier._

Darry didn't know if he was imagining it or not, but he thought he heard Two-Bit's chuckle. "If you can force my heart and nerve and sinew." Darry thought to himself, knowing he would need all the strength he could muster.

Darry let one tear fall onto the paper, mingling with the tear smudges that had poured from Two-Bit's eyes. Then he brushed it away with the back of his hand impatiently.

"Superman to the rescue." He muttered, then walked towards a waiting Soda.

* * *

"Stupid Two-Bit." Steve slurred, taking another swig of whiskey. He didn't usually drink hard alcohal, but desperate times...

If Steve had examined himself like Pony and Darry often did, he would see that the real reason he was calling Two-Bit was not for the reason that he had died. It was jealousy.

Jealousy that the rest of the gang had gotten to speak to him before his death, jealous of him for being with Dally and Johnny again, jealous of Darry and Soda and Pony for getting notes from Two-Bit.

Steve had seen Darry reading his earlier today when he had gone looking for Two-Bit. What kind of friends didn't even give you a call to tell you your friend- your brother- was dead?

Steve wanted to be drunk. He wanted to be more drunk that Two-Bit had ever been in his life.

Back when he had had a life.

He almost dove for the pills, wanting to forget. Of course at the moment that Steve started choking pills into his mouth, Soda walked in slamming the door behind him.

"Steve no!" He screamed, pupils dilating in fear. He wrestled the pills from Steve, then forced Steve to open his mouth, shaking Steve's head so that his brain seemed to rattle around in his skull and so that the pills flew out.

"wha hell sooo..." Steve was completely incoherent, but Soda knew enough to glare at him.

"I'm not letting you kill yourself."

"Naw, Sooa, noo..Twooo." Steve could have said a intelligible sentence, but he really just wanted Soda to leave him alone. Anger was boiling like lava in his chest.

"Ok Steve. Whatever you say. We need to get you cleaned up."

Soda pulled Steve's shirt off roughly, tousling his hair in ridiculous ways in the process. He threw a new shit a Steve who let it drop to his feet, blinking at least 5 seconds later with an indignant grunt.

Soda sighed heavily and pulled Steve's shirt over his head, letting his arms dangle uselessly down by his sides inside the confines of the shirt.

Soda threw himself on to the couch and flipped through the channels. Finally settling on Mickey Mouse. At the sound of the ecstatic theme song, Steve managed to stumble to the couch, apparently not noticing the coffee table, and consequently fell face first onto the couch.

Soda gave him a glare.

Steve glared right back.

Soda turned away, leaving Steve to try to maintain his drunk dignity. After a few moments, Soda started singing under his breath.

Steve took no notice, until he heard to lyrics clearly as Soda's voice rose in volume.

"...I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E! It's me."

For someone as drunk as he was, Steve showed amazing speed at launching himself at Soda.

"Stop!" He yelled, proving that he wasn't, after all, too drunk...yet.

"What Steve? Stop singing?" To an outsider they must have sounded like little kids, but the true meaning behind the song was what caused Steve to be so angry at Soda.

"Yes! Stop singing! That song!"

In response, Soda stood up on the couch and changed keys fluently, holding up an invisible microphone to his mouth, singing at his absolute highest lung capacity "Who's the leader of the club? Mickey Mouse! Mickey Mouse!"

"SODA! STOP!" Steve whined. Soda jumped down from the couch, but his only move was to grab Steve by the hands and pull him violently to his feet.

heaving a highly uncooperative Steve to the only part of the room not littered with beer bottles, he sang, if possible, louder and more exuberantly. But now it was not only to spite Steve. Soda found himself grinning, as he pulled a groaning Steve across in an eccentric tango.

Steve jerked away, tripping on a beer bottle and flying spectacularly into a heap on his back.

"Soda! I'm not kidding! God dammit, stop singing that song." Soda, who knew steve better than anyone, stopped singing, noticing a tone in Steve's voice he had only heard once. a hysterical, deathly threatening voice.

"So what are you going to do Steve? Mope around and drown your sorrows?"

Steve didn't meet Soda's eyes, which Soda interpreted as a yes.

"Fine. But your an insult to his memory."

Steve's head snapped up so quickly, a crack was audible. "Don't you dare say that to me again you-"

But exactly what Soda was was cut of by a snort on Soda's part.

"Really? Not an insult? What would Two-Bit do if he found you lying drunk as a dog about to swallow pills? I mean, he got drunk on occasion, but he was always careful. What your doing? Thats just stupid. And don't take my word for it." Soda said, raising his voice to a shout, because Steve looked as though he were going to interrupt.

"Here, let Two-Bit tell you himself."

And Soda tossed Steved a letter. By the time Soda had stormed off, slamming the door behind him, the impact of this statement finally hit the more than slightly wasted Steve: Two-Bit hadn't forgotten him. He had sent him a letter.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey! thank you guys so much! I love your reviews, especially the constructive ones...Although the complimentary ones do give me a warm fuzzy feeling also. Alot of you have been asking how Pony will react...here it goes! I hope it lives up to your expectations.**

**I don't own the Outsiders.**

* * *

Ponyboy Curtis looked shocked, but no tears brimmed from his eyes. No screaming or denial as an already pissed off Soda had expected.

There was a long silence, longer and more impenetrable than any silence Soda had ever witnessed.

"Uhh...Pony, please say something."

"Ok." Soda barely finished his plea, before Pony responded.

"Ummm...By "Ok" do you mean...what exactly do you mean by "ok?"'

"I mean ok. Two-Bit is dead." Soda stared incredulously at Pony.

"OK! HE'S FRICKIN' DEAD PONY! THAT'S IT. HE'LL NEVER TALK TO YOU AGAIN!" Pony's voice was cool in response to Soda's outburst.

"Soda, I am ok. I've gotten used to death. I don't want it...or at least not anymore, but you have to admit that death is just part of life."

Soda, who hadn't even noticed that he was on his feet started to scream again, but Pony silenced him, holding up one index finger.

Pony patted the bed beside him, and reluctantly, Soda sat next to him again. Soda kept his arms crossed over his chest so tight, they looked like they would never be able to uncross.

Pony, taking great care with the tubes plugged into his arm, wrapped a comforting hand around Soda's shoulders.

"You don't have to be strong with me Soda." He whispered, and the glass that had covered Sodas distant eyes broke, and the flood behind it was unleashed.

Sobbing into Pony's white hospital gown, he looked no older than 13 or 14, while Pony looked as old as 20.

"You know, the first time I met Two-Bit, I didn't like him. I didn't think he was tough. or tuff." His words, although almost nonsensical, seemed to ease Soda's sobs slightly.

"The first time he saw me. Let's see. I must have been...maybe 7 or 8. That would make him about 12. But the first time he saw me, he burst into tears. I had never seen a boy cry at that age. Except you and myself."

Something inside of Soda's head clicked. Bunny. Two-Bit's little brother that he had said pony reminded him of.

"I avoided him for almost a week before I realized he was cool. And when we became friends, he was always so funny without a care in the world. I never saw him cry since then. Well, I think he might have been tearing up when he last saw me. So my first memory and my last memory are of Two-Bit crying. But I feel special because of this. He didn't cry often, and he shared that vulnerability with me-twice."

Soda nodded, than kissed Pony on the forehead and grinned a shattered grin.

"Here." He handed Pony his letter, then turned around, without a glance on the expression on Pony's face. He had to see his best buddy. He needed to have some fun and forget about this terrible ordeal.

* * *

The second the door slammed behind Soda, Pony teared ferociously at the letter. He didn't know how he had managed to keep it together for those 5 minutes.

He felt an odd mixture of sympathy and envy as he thought of Darry, how strong he was, how he could keep it together no matter what the brothers underwent.

He was relieved at how long the letter was, wanting to spend as much remaining time as possible with his friend.

The first page was hastily written on the back of patients chart-Pony's chart.

_Dear Ponyboy,_

_I dont really have much time till midnight. That's when I told Darry to meet me in room 607. If your reading this, that means your a life. If Darry found this, and your dead, I hope to hell he feels bad for letting you die. _

_But I wanted to make sure you don't bury me with my ring on. I know it would be your first instinct, but I don't want it. I want you to have it._

_When you die in AT LEAST 100 years from now, I will take it back. Don't worry-I wont charge interest for it._

_Wow. that was a lame joke. Sorry about that Ponyboy._

_Two-Bit_

The next page was a little more carefully written, and was longer, filling both sides of a yellow legal pad paper in Two-Bits scrawling handwriting.

_Pony,_

_I just want to tell you (although I'm sure you've heard it all before) that I was once where you are. Or were._

_I was on the brink of death. I had been abused, moved from my home, and I had suffer a loss you can't even imagine. _

_But you might as well try. Imagine that Soda and Darry both died suddenly and the last thing you ever said to them was "I hate you." Take that pain, multiply it by 100, and you might be close to how I felt._

_The person who I lost was the only person I ever really loved. That's why I can't blame Dally for what he did for Johnny. I've been there._

_But the first time I met you (literally running into you on the playground) it was not accident. No, it wasn't fate or crap. I had seen you there the day before._

_I saw you fall off the monkey bars that day, and I saw Soda running towards you, immediately comforting you. _

_I saw my Bunny in you. That doesn't make any sense to you, but the next day, I had to see you again, You had saved me (I am really Ponying...I mean...messing this up.)_

_But the day I first saw you, I had been on my way to kill myself. I had a gun all ready to go. I was going to die how Dally died. (He stole my suicide method! can you believe him? I'll have to punch him when I next see him...) _

_But anyway, the next day, I saw you with your first sketch book sitting in the shade of a tree, so I walked over, and much to my embarrassment, I bawled like a little bitch dog._

_I think you were creeped out by me (who wouldn't be?) but you comforted me just the same. You showed me a drawing of Mickey Mouse and when I asked you to sing that ridiculous song, you did, causing everyone to stare at you, and your family to walk over._

_Our family._

_So in a way, It's a life for a life. You save me, so I saved you. And you'd better use it, just like I did._

_But really, I saved Bunny's life. That's what I would have done for him. What I did do for you._

_I'm not sure if you figured out the metaphor. You told me the Poem, nothing gold can stay, and I had it engraved on a platinum ring._

_You said it was silver, but its actually platinum, which is better and more expensive than gold. Although, I suppose, "Nothing Platinum can Stay," doesn't have the same ring to it (ha! bad pun..)_

_But I figured, sure, nothing gold can stay, like autumn or a golden period in someones life._

_But maybe something platinum can stay._

_After Autumn come winter, and that sucks, but then spring comes again, and its not gold, cuz at that point your not scared you'll lose it. Its platinum, more precious than gold._

_Same with life Pony. When it sucks, it's just cuz the gold can't stay. The platinum can. And I have a feeling you're going to need all the platinum in the world to make up for your lack of gold._

_I love you Bunny _

This name was crossed out, and written in instead was "Pony."

_Two-Bit_

_Be brave for Darry, Steve and Soda. you know how batman was replaced by robin in that goddamn awful movie? You have to replace superman. or at least fill in for him. He'll be back._

_Gotta go donate to a good cause!_

Pony stared blankly at the paper, than looked down at his hand, where the silver- no platinum- ring resided.

_"Get tough. Stay Gold. Stay Platinum"_

The last words Pony's friends had said to him. Not a terrible way to remember them.

And for what felt like the first time in forever, Pony cracked a real grin, clutching the letter to his chest.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks for the reviews! keep reading! If you like this you may also like "Dominoes." Same depressing theme.**

**I do not own the outsiders.**

* * *

Steve Randle sat, hours later, still clutching the letter. It was unopened and for the past hours, his heart had been dancing a frenzied waltz in his chest.

What did it say? What did Two-Bit Mathews have to say to Steve in his last words. Steve didn't even know if he wanted to find out. What if Two-Bit insulted him or told him it was his fault? Steve couldn't see how it was his fault, but what if Steve himself had the same blood type as Pony?

If it were to save Two-Bit's life, Steve would do anything. For anyone in the gang. Except maybe Pony.

After concluding that Two-Bit couldn't possibly say anything that would make Steve feel worse than he already did, he pried open the envelope with trembling fingers.

_Steve,_

_You must know by now why I did what I did. I did it to save Pony. That kid is gonna make it. He's smart, capable, good looking. The only thing he doesn't have is common sense. I know Darry used to talk to Pony about having his head in the clouds, but if I know Darry, he is now just as depressed as everyone else after my death._

_Steve, remember when you told me your dream? Follow that dream. Become a big-shot architect in New York city. Design the next empire state building. I really think you can do it._

_But the reason I brought that up is really because of all these letter I'm sending out. It's like when your building a skyscraper, the first level has to be super strong, right? Darry is the first level. He keeps everyone above him safe._

_But more important to the building is its foundation. Thats you. The leaning tower of Pisa? That had a sucky foundation. thats why it failed. So you can't crumble and you have to stay strong for the others._

_I know you would do this for Darry and Soda regardless of this wack-o letter, but what about Pony? Sorry to break it to you, but that kid hates you; and he thinks you hate him too._

_I don't know if you hate him or not. I don't study people like Pony does, but you have to grow up and let Pony in. In his letter, I put a lot of strain on him._

_He has to support Darry, everyone does. He also has to support Soda. So if you don't support him, you are letting Darry and Soda down. _

_I love you man. Don't you dare fall. We need you._

_Two-Bit_

_P.S- You are the only one I left anything to. Well...besides Pony, but that's just sentimental. I have collected quite a lot in my bank account over the years. (I'll admit that most the time when I wasn't around, I was working.) My family will be fine, they don't need the money. I want you to take it and use it on college and architectural school or wherever you want to go to school. Just try hard and make something out of yourself._

_Do the things I never could...for both of us._

Steve looked down dazedly at the pills still clutched in his hands. He shook his head at them.

"You are not taking my life away from me." He snarled at the drugs. He walked deliberately to the bathroom.

Taking out bottles upon bottles of pills, he flushed them all down the toilet. There was just one more thing he had to do now.

* * *

Pony was already bored with the hospital. The smells were so sharp, it almost hurt to inhale. Although he was hardly ever tired anymore with his walks around the hospital, the nurses only let him out of bed for an hour a day.

Soda visited often, grin always forced on his face. Almost every visit from Soda would end in Soda sobbing into Pony's chest.

For once, Pony really saw how hard it was taking care of your brother. It broke Pony's heart to see Soda crying like a baby, sobbing out Two-Bit's name.

And, worse still, it forced Pony to be strong for someone else, something that he detested doing.

He hadn't seen Darry since the day he had denied Two-Bit's death. Pony was worried, but Soda assured him (between sobs) that he was just busy. Pony wondered dejectedly if Darry blamed him for Two-Bit's death.

After all, Pony had pulled the gun. If Pony hadn't pulled that gun, none of this would have happened. Or if Pony had just died, none of it would've happened. But Pony no longer wanted to die. He was too thankful for what Two-Bit had done to throw it all away.

The door opened, breaking Pony out of his reverie. Bracing himself for Soda's pained smile, he was surprised to see Steve Randle standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"Can I uh...come in?" Steve avoided Pony's gaze. Pony nodded in surprise.

For a few moments, Steve sat in silence, pretending to be interested on a tube that was pumping liquid into Pony's arm. red liquid.

"That his blood?" Steve said, alerting Pony from a day dream.

"Uh...yeah. I feel fine, but they say I still need more blood." Steve nodded and was silent for a few minutes more. This time Pony broke the painfully awkward silence.

"Look, man, just yell at me or whatever." Steve looked startled, as though he had forgotten Pony was even there.

"Why would I yell at you?"

Pony laughed with no humor. "Because I killed Two-Bit, one of your best friends, the person who balanced out your cynical personality."

"You didn't kill Two-Bit. You almost killed yourself. You could have killed Soda, but you didn't kill Two-Bit."

"But-"

"Did Two-Bit tell you that you killed him in your letter?"

"No, but-"

"Than you didn't kill him. Two-Bit killed himself." Pony's mouth dropped open.

"How can you- I can't believe you would- you bastard!"

Steve chuckled darkly. "Kid, I'm not gonna sugar coat it. Two-Bit's dead because he committed suicide. The noblest suicide ever committed, but still suicide."

"But if not for that gun-"

"If. If, if, if. If doesn't matter Pony. That didn't happen. The only way to deal with it is to live and let live."

Pony stared at Steve so intensely Steve started to feel uncomfortable. "This is the first time we've ever spoken. I don't hate you. What did Two-Bit do?"

Steve laughed, this time a sliver of almost undetectable genuity in his laugh. "You hated me? Glory kid, I must have been a real jerk. You wont even hate the Socs! And yeah, I'll admit Two-Bit said something to me that got me to change my mind about you. But I should've done it a long time ago without help."

Steve smiled crookedly and Pony grinned uncertainly back. Extending his hand towards Pony, Steve asked, "friends?"

Pony nodded, grasping Steve's hand. "If Two-Bit made you change your mind about me, he must of really said something special."

Steve cracked a grin, raising his eye brow in a Two-Bit Mathew-esk way. Talking to Pony made Steve realize why two had been so fond of the boy. He was so blunt in an innocent kind of way. And this is when Steve realized, that Two-Bit Mathews would never truly be dead. Overcome by the need to tell someone this he said:

"He really_ is_ something special."


	12. epilogue

**So, I know I said that this was gonna end back at chapter 6, but I probably really mean it this time. Sorry I haven't written in a while. I can't really think of anything else to say, but I hate incomplete stories, so here it goes. Thank you all for reviewing, following, favoriting, reading, hating, whatever. I was surprised that even after my english class finished this book, it stuck with me. I love the Outsiders...and I hope I always will.**

**I, (to my dismay) do not own the Outsiders.**

* * *

_**Epilogue (about 50 years later)  
**_

The old man leaned heavily on the younger mans shoulder. The young man had bright red hair and dancing brown eyes. A girl trailed behind them. She looked slightly older than the man, maybe 35 or so.

"Dad, can we walk any faster?" The boy whined, sounding about 6 years old, although he had the type of face that could have been any age.

The man smiled patiently. "Maybe you can, but arthritis does make it hard for me to move, let alone walk 3 blocks."

"Well then why don't we just drive up to where we're going?" The old looking man smiled gently.

"You'll live." John grumbled under his breath, but made no more complaints for the next 5 minutes.

They arrived at a church. Paint peeled off the sides and the cross had broken off the top. It was, in John's opinion, the most depressed looking place he had ever seen.

The rest of Tulsa had grown exponentially. The part of town that Pony used to live in had long since been torn down, replaced by tall buildings and shops, no remnant of what 'was' left behind.

But this graveyard had not been touched. John stepped confidently towards the church. 'The sooner this is over, the better.' he decided, not all together too pleased on trailing his dad on this useless masquerade.

"Whinny, you ok back there?" The young woman looked up from her phone, which she was checking her email on. she grimaced, knowing her father was not asking her if she was alright, but telling her to show respect.

The trio walked through the creaking gate, the two siblings feeling creeped out, but the old man simply trudging up the hill with more resolve.

In the darkest, deepest corner of the graveyard were 3 head stones. Pony knelt on the middle of the three, picking out a weed that had grown over the body.

Whinny and John looked at each other secretively. 'Dad has finally lost it.' Their look said sadly. Their fathers next words seemed only to confirm their suspicions.

"Do you know what my name is?" After a moment of silence, he repeated the question. Whinny, the braver of the two, answered.

"Of course Dad. Your name is Ponyboy-Pony for short." Ponyboy smiled dazedly.

"Do you know my brothers names?" The two looked more confused.

"Uncle Soda. Your brother. We see him every year on Christmas." Whinny and John were more than a little creeped out by their uncle. When he came over, he would be boisterous. Then he would get roaringly drunk, and sober up towards the end of the evening, finally subsiding into a constant keening wail.

Ponyboy shook his head. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you this before. Soda isn't my only brother. I have 5 others. You are both named for two of them."

Whinny and John looked shocked. Their mouths hung open, comically. Ponyboy chuckled. "Your gonna meet all of them today. Darry, Soda and Steve will be here soon."

* * *

The sister and brother both felt like children. They sat with their legs crossed, listening to their dad tell a story, for once not anxious to get out their phones, but compelled to listen.

"Darry and Soda are my blood brothers. But we were- are - all brothers. I had a...falling out with Darry. We had always had a rocky relationship, and one day we had an argument and I moved away. Both of us were too stubborn to just break the silence and apologize. After a while it became habit. Steve became an architect in New York. I talk to him about once a year over the phone, just to check up, but talking to them brings back too many painful memories."

They were silent for a second, then Whinny asked "What about the other 3?" She almost didn't want to hear it. She knew that they must be dead. Why else would they be in a graveyard?

At that moment a voice sounded from behind them, startling them all. "Hey Pony."

Pony struggled to his feet, hundreds of emotions playing across his face. John tried to help, but his father shook him off.

Talking painfully slow steps towards the man, Pony grimaced. The large man looked older than Pony. He was strangely muscled for such an old man, and he moved with surprising speed and agility towards Pony.

He caught the younger, more sickly man in his arms and practically spun him around. Pony laughed like a little kid yelling his brothers name "Darry!"

Coming back to his senses, Pony let go, smiling up at Darry. He motioned for his son and daughter to meet Darry.

"Whinny, Johnny, meet Darry. Darry, meet Whinny and Johnny." Pony exchanged a look with Darry.

John broke the silence. "Johnny?" Pony looked startled, but immediately realized his mistake.

"John. John, not Johnny." Darry shook his head at Pony.

"I see your still as scatter brained as ever." He rubbed the top of Ponyboy's head, making his white hair stick on end and causing the slightly younger man to laugh.

He then turned his attention towards the young adults. His expression changed to sorrow when he saw them. He walked over, almost gravely, to John. He enveloped him in a classic Darry hug.

"Nice to meet you Johnny." Then he looked towards Whinny. His grin widened.

"You look just like Sodapop! Haven't talked to him in...anyways, nice to meet you also, Winston." Whinny looked surprised.

"How did you know my full name?" He was after all, a complete stranger, Whinny reflected, wondering amusedly if Darry was a psychic.

He shrugged. "I assumed Ponyboy named you after Dally-Dallas Winston." Whinny had never liked her full name. It was a mans name, but for the first time since her childhood, she felt proud of her name.

Then a car that Whinny had come to associate with depression and whiskey parked in the church driveway. A tall lean figure came out.

Both Whinny and John were surprised when two other people followed. One another old man (presumably Steve) the other a bouncing little kid, excited after the hours cooped up in the car.

The assembled crowd was silent as the three figures approached. Uncle Soda didn't look drunk today. He was walking perfectly straight, and as he enveloped Whinny in a hug, she smelled no alcohol on his breath.

"Hey uncle Soda." The adults said politely. Darry however barrelled towards Soda, his arms spread wide, just as he had done to Pony.

Soda's face was worn with wrinkles and what hair he had was white and thin, lacking his youthful glow. But his eyes were as warm as ever. A dancing brown that Whinny had seen blaze with hatred and laugh in love.

The other man was shorter and rounder than the brothers. The kid trailing him had dark black hair and tan skin.

Darry reflected that he looked just like Johnny, if not for the tight curls in his hair. Steve shook Darry and Ponyboys hands, then looked inquisitively at Whinny and John.

"My kids. Whinny and John." Steve's face broke out into a grin.

"Would you look at that? Mr. famous-author-adventurer finally settled down with one broad-er- woman." Steve still found it hard to not be offensive in his speech. He was a stereotypical offensive grandfather.

Speaking of which, "This is my grandson, Matt." Darry laughed.

"How original! I really don't know how you and Pony thought of your kids names."

"Grandson." Steve muttered. "My sons name is Keith."

"Hmm...You know what would be cute? If you called him three-Bit. Of course, there was no 'one-bit' but makes sense."

Steve just rolled his eyes. Darry had always had a strange sense of humor.

Pony cleared his throat and pulled from the contents of his bag, a book. One the gang had all read, but one that Whinny, John, and Matt had never even seen.

"Guys, this is my book. It tells about Johnny and Dally but...it was published before Two-Bit..." Pony started tearing up.

A sober Soda put his arm around Pony like they were about six years old again. The children stared un-ashamedly.

"I wrote another book 'even gold can tarnish' and it explains about Two-Bit. I'm not gonna get it published. I have enough money, and I know the world will think it's a fake story, so I'm only letting you guys read it. Or hear it rather. Just so you know...What happened. It's from everyone's point of view this time, 'cuz it's not my story. It's really Two-Bit's."

Darry walked over to Soda and Pony and wrapped them both in a hug, letting go after only a few seconds. Pony cleared his throat again. "Even Gold Can Tarnish. Chapter 1. Ponyboy Curtis strided confidently across the dappled green and brown lawn into the house he occupied with his brothers. He reflected, as he did everyday since the worst day, that is had been a month since the deaths..."

* * *

**So yeah...That's Even Gold Can Tarnish. Please review! If you guys don't like the ending, I'm sorry. I think it showed reality and what would have really happened to some people like the gang.**

**I would like to add that this was thought up because of a true story. Pony's attempted suicides are all true (from another person) and I am so glad that my life didn't escalade and end as Two-Bit's did...and neither did my Ponyboy's.**

**I want to thank everyone who reviewed for me, particularly xXxAngel-With-A-ShotgunxXx and DreadfulStar. Great reviews that were constructive and crap.**

**Until next time, (and yeah, there's gonna be A LOT of next times)**

**Stay Gold**

**ERF10722  
**


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